Unlikely Apprentice
by Sibrael
Summary: When Kakashi was called to the Hokage's office, he didn't expect this...
1. Chapter 1

Sandal-clad feet silently entered the room and stopped in front of my desk. I ignored the ninja and continued to read the document in front of me, signed it, and then, and only then, did I finally look up to meet Danzo's eyes. He seemed older than when I'd last seen him, but no less determined, no less sure of his convictions.

"This can't continue." He had spoken firmly and calmly as though it were a fact, as though the discussion we were about to have was not whether we should take action to change the situation, but rather what action we would take.

I leaned back in my chair. "Can you be more specific, I have no idea what you're talking about," I lied. It would have taken an idiot not to have seen this conversation coming.

"I am referring of course, to Kakashi's current position as the official sensei of Team 7. It cannot continue," he reiterated. "He should never have been assigned as a sensei in the first place."

"There were good reasons he was given the position."

Danzo snorted in contempt. "But there were more and much better reasons for him not to be. It was a biased decision due to Hiruzen favouring Kakashi."

"The whole reason Kakashi was removed from ANBU was so that he could be a jonin leader. It's always a struggle to find enough jonin to be sensei and Kakashi has a lot of skill that could be passed on. We were at peace Danzo and ANBU no longer required him. To have left him doing regular A-ranks as a regular jonin would have been a waste."

"Yes, Hiruzen forced Kakashi out of ANBU. But he did it because he thought Kakashi needed it, because he thought it was in Kakashi's best interests, not because Kakashi wanted it, not because Kakashi was well suited to it and not because it was in the best interest of the genin teams assigned to him. The Third took a deeply broken man out of ANBU, infamous for his ruthlessness and within six months started trying to assign genin to him the way civilian prisoners get assigned therapy dogs. With his social and interpersonal skills he was going to be a concern with any genin team, with Team 7 he was a guaranteed disaster."

"With the assets Naruto and Sasuke possessed and their parents being who they were, Team 7 was always going to be targeted and therefore need a powerful sensei. Sasuke also needed someone to train him in the sharingan and with his clan dead, the best person to do that was always going to be Kakashi. Additionally, we also had to find someone who was unprejudiced against Naruto for the team's sensei." I countered.

"Sasuke had not yet activated his sharingan at the time of Team 7's formation and there was no reason that the person who taught Sasuke how to wield his doujutsu had to be the sensei of Team 7 as well. Kakashi could have simply been an additional tutor for Sasuke alone.

Regarding a suitable teacher for Naruto, just because someone doesn't actively befriend and stick-up for the boy doesn't mean they'll hate or persecute him. Take your own teammate for example. Even if there were hard feeling, most ninja can separate that from the mission. Hell in ANBU ignoring your true feelings on an issue is practically a job requirement.

As to protection there were other strong candidates in and out of ANBU who don't let guilt and misplaced sentiment force them to the point of chakra exhaustion after every serious battle, who aren't arrogant enough to keep insisting that a misclassified A-ranked mission is suitable for a genin team's first mission out of the village despite all the evidence to the contrary. Had Tenzo been assigned as sensei to Team 7, he could have protected the team from danger both without _and_ within when Naruto's seal brakes. And let's be clear, the seal has cracked, everyone saw that at the chuunin exams. He's an Uzumaki, with naturally large chakra reserves and yet he has consistently shown that the moment things get difficult in a fight, even a fight with peers from his own village, the first thing he does is reach for the Bijuu's power. Never has our village had a jinchuuriki who used the Bijuu's power with such reckless abandon. His seal wasn't meant for it, I've studied it myself. Sasuke with Orochimaru is a ticking time-bomb. You can't afford to have Naruto be one too.

Kakashi needs to be removed as Team 7's sensei. You know it, I know it, and deep down I think Kakashi knows it too. I've already made a formal complaint and call for an investigation. The Elders have talked, and we have decided. Kakashi will be put on trial for his actions and his continued leadership of Team 7. The trial will begin two days from now." With that Danzo turned and left the room.

I frowned in irritation. The most trying thing about the situation was that I didn't disagree with Danzo. The bastard had raised several good points I couldn't successfully counter and there were too many parallels between Team 7 and my own genin team for me not to fell uncomfortable. I had intended on intervening on Team 7 myself, but in my own way at my own leisure. Danzo's pre-emptive move tiresome but should have been expected.

I looked out the window and sighed. The sun was shining and a gentle breeze moved through the trees. Today could have been a nice day. I was not looking forward to my next conversation. It would require more care and tact than what I was used to. I pondered what to say and motioned to one of my ANBU. "Bring me Kakashi."

* * *

 **Author's Note:** I am looking for a beta-reader if anyone is interested.


	2. Chapter 2

Kakashi was late. I don't know why I was surprised by the realization; maybe it was the recent attack on the village; maybe it way the seriousness of Team 7's situation; maybe it was the fact that unlike many other jonin sensei after the exam, at least all of Kakashi's students were alive, but I had thought that this one time, Kakashi could have put his self-absorption and misplaced sense of sentimentality aside.

My office door opened and Kakashi calmly strode into the room. "Hatake Kakashi reporting for duty."

"You're late, Kakashi," I said tersely.

Kakashi's eye crinkled and he rubbed the back of his head. "Ah, sorry for that. A chicken wanted to cross a road and I had to help it get to the other side."

I didn't smile at the inappropriate levity. Instead I took a long drawn out moment to take in the man in front of me. He smelled of neither booze nor stale sweat from unwashed clothes. His hair looked clean and recently, if haphazardly brushed. He was standing in his usual nonchalant stance patiently watching me. Interestingly, his right knee sported a scuff mark and one of his right toes looked an angry purple – a recent injury. There was a slight scratch on his right hand. I pondered whether his one visible pupil was unusually dilated, but the colour of his eye made it difficult to tell. Given his eye was slightly blood-shot, and Kakashi didn't look like he'd recently been crying, I decided it probably was.

So… he had his shit together enough to shower and do laundry. He also cared enough about the crafted image he presented to the world to brush his hair in the bathroom mirror. However, he hadn't the presence of mind or was too apathetic, to brush the dirt off his knee from when he had recently tripped, likely due to recreational drug use. He was self-medicating again.

"How are you holding up?" I queried.

"I feel like shit," he replied bluntly.

I waited a moment for him to elaborate. He didn't. I leaned back and sighed. "It's always difficult to lose a teammate like that." I suspected that whatever comradery I'd been aiming for with that statement was severely undermined by the fact that it was my former teammate that lured away Kakashi's former student. At least I detected no anger or resentment from him directed at me.

"Whatever you're feeling, you'll have to put it aside for now. Danzo just came in to see me. Danzo and the Elders have made a formal complaint and called for an investigation over your actions as leader of Team 7. The trial will begin in two days and will determine the future of your squad and whether any disciplinary action needs to be taken."

Kakashi's shoulders slumped and he seemed smaller, diminished somehow. His expression showed no surprise, only self-recrimination.

I wanted to throw something in frustration. Feelings of guilt weren't useful right now, only later. I needed his determination and drive.

"Kakashi, you're going to need to take this trial seriously."

He snorted. "Like the decrepit meddlers haven't made up their minds. Two days is not long, they've been preparing for this since probably before he even left."

"You're right, they probably already have. The Elders cast votes on the final verdict and help decide on the appropriate response to that outcome. However, so do a panel of your jonin peers. I can at least ensure that those chosen for the jonin panel will be unbiased." In fact I already had several candidates in mind.

Kakashi did not look relieved but forced some of the tension to leave his body. "I already knew that Naruto would be leaving with Jiriaya soon thanks to the Akatsuki, and it's unlikely any sentencing would be too harsh as the village needs me out in the field right now anyway."

I pursed my lips. "There is some truth to that, however, any punishment could be delayed. Additionally, while the attack on the village was tragic, we were already at a state of heightened security when the attack occurred and the loss of life pales compared to what we sustained during the Kyuubi attack or during the wars. Whatever play Danzo is trying to make, we'll have to outmanoeuvre him. Jiriaya is not going to be happy if he's forced to take a couple Root cronies with him along with Naruto when he leaves the village."

Kakashi's face darkened. I was relieved at the growing anger I sensed under Kakashi's surface at the mention of a threat to his student.

"Take whatever time you need to prepare between now and the trial. Be at conference room twelve at 9am the day after tomorrow."

Kakashi gave a curt nod and made to leave the room.

"Oh, and Kakashi."

I watched him turn to look at me over his shoulder.

"Don't be late."


	3. Chapter 3

Something was pecking at my window. I glanced up to see a messenger hawk on the window sill. I promptly got up, putting my kunai and whetstone aside. I opened the window and removed the scroll from the hawk's leg. On reading its contents, my eyebrows rose. I was being allowed tomorrow's and the rest of today's afternoon off. I had been expecting to have to use my wood jutsu to help with repairs for at least another three days before being sent on back-to-back A and S-rank missions. Clearly something was up.

Just as I was about to sit down again I felt something brush the edge of my senses. It was a familiar chakra signature. Kakashi was briskly walking up the stairs to my apartment. I reached out more deliberately this time to get a feel on his chakra. In contrast to the usual tightly controlled feeling of his chakra, it prickled erratically in a tight ball, giving off a feeling of anger, frustration and self-loathing. I had hoped for something different but wasn't surprised. My shoulders slumped and I gave a weary exhale.

I wasn't looking forward to this conversation. Though Kami knows Kakashi needed to talk to somebody. It had been so warming to see the positive change in Kakashi's demeanour after he had taken on students. They had given him something, some sense of peace, that despite the strength of our relationship, I had never been able to. I prayed the Sasuke debacle did not leave him worse off than before he ever took the team on.

I opened the door before Kakashi could knock. "Want to come in?"

With a quick nod Kakashi walked in, he paced back and forth and then finally, firmly seated himself in a worn armchair.

I poured us both a glass of water to give him some time to compose himself and sat on the sofa next to him. I watched him and took a sip of my drink. He seemed haggard and I didn't like the look of his eye. I hoped he would be the first to speak.

Finally, he looked me in the eye. "Yamato, I assume you've heard about Sasuke."

I nodded. "Yugao filled me in."

"Danzo and the Elders have arranged an investigation and trial into my conduct as Team 7's sensei," he said tightly.

I frowned. This was really the last thing Kakashi needed. Kakshi was more than capable of blaming and then punishing himself without anyone's intervention. "I don't like the sound of them dragging you into their schemes, but surely there couldn't be too much to worry about. You were an excellent leader of Team Ro, I know you were."

Kakashi gave a mirthless smile. It disappeared quickly. "Perhaps, but there is a big difference between leading an ANBU squad and leading a genin team. Perhaps I was not up to the difference."

I pondered that for a moment. "They certainly seemed to put up a respectable performance at the Chuunin exams."

"And yet despite me spending a whole month working one-on-one with Sasuke between the second and third portion of the exam, he still left, and worse I never really saw it coming. I knew Sasuke was frustrated, was impatient, I knew Orochimaru made him promises and yet I never truly believed he would leave." Kakashi shook his head, marvelling.

Kakashi leaned back and ran a hand through his hair. "In truth," he spoke more softly. "It feels like Itachi all over again. Sasuke turned traitor and tried to kill his best friend, just like Itachi. To make it worse he did it with the chidori. He went right through Naruto and if it weren't for the Kyuubi he would be dead." He looked at me with pain in his eyes. "He took the jutsu meant to protect friends, that Obito helps me use, and ran Nartuo right through just like I did Rin, except with Sasuke… Sasuke did it on purpose."

Hi head was down, cradled in his hands. "He was so like me. I thought I could steer him on a different path, a better path, but now he's done something more monstrous than I ever did."

"Not everything is lost. As far as we know all three of your students are still alive. Yes Sasuke has left the village, but that doesn't mean he's beyond redemption. He's a genin under the influence of a curse seal and the last of the Uchiha. Were he to be captured and stand trial that would be taken into account."

Kakashi looked up at me. " _If_ he gets captured."

I pondered on all the possible means of his statement and decided not to comment on it.

"How long do you have before the trial?" I asked.

"Two days."

Well that explained the Hokage's message. "They move fast. They've probably been preparing for a while. Any idea what their line of attack will be and what their end goal is?"

"At a guess I'd say they want to declare Sasuke as a missing nin. At this stage, hunter-nin will be ordered to capture rather than kill him, for his eyes if nothing else." Kakashi paused and frowned in thought. He was developing fine lines on his forehead.

"As for Naruto, there was already talk of him leaving the village with Jiriaya for several years, even before the Akatsuki came to visit. Given how badly I lost to our former teammate, Itachi, those in charge no longer have faith in my ability to protect Naruto on my own. So the timetable for the plan to have Naruto leave with Jiriaya has likely been moved forward."

"Danzo however, will likely be a vocal opponent to those plans as he has never liked the idea of our village's jinchuriki leaving for missions. This is mostly for Danzo's own ends I suspect. It wouldn't be as beneficial to Naruto's growth, but I would enjoy Danzo forcing Naruto to hang around on the condition that Jiriaya would as well," Kakashi admitted.

"Is that likely to happen?" I asked. It would certainly be good for Kakashi-taichou.

"I'd gamble Jiriaya would try and find a way out of it, just as he weaselled his way out of being even temporary Hokage," Kakashi guessed. "Jiriaya has spent very little time in the village over the past twelve years and he will likely try and convince the others that his skills are needed more as a spy master outside the village."

I pondered that for a while. "I doubt Jiriaya can do much spying on the Akatsuki with Naruto in tow though. In fact most of what he's told us could have been found out simply by hiring its members for cut-price missions. Jiriaya's position as spymaster has always been more self-proclaimed than anything else." I waved my hand as a gesture of dismissal. "He left to chase after Orochimaru and hasn't managed to come close to killing him. For all the spying he's claimed he's done, he didn't know Orochimaru had started his own village, nor did he give us a head's up on Sasuke or the invasion. The village would have benefitted a lot more from Jiriaya being in the village than wondering around writing porn all these years."

I sighed, suddenly feeling very weary. "Maybe I'm just trying to pass the buck." It was such a shame he and I hadn't been able to kill Orochimaru the first time we were sent after him.

Kakashi nodded. "It's hard to disagree with anything you've just said. Whether anyone will voice those disagreements is another matter all together. The Elders in particular, would rather have Naruto out in the field so that the village doesn't become a target of the Akatsuki. Unfortunately the Elders would also likely insist that Jiriaya take a pair of ANBU with him as well. This wouldn't bother me except I'm sure Danzo would manage to ensure at least one of them was one of his lackeys."

We sat in silence for a while, lost in our own thoughts. "What about your actions as team leader being put on trial?" I asked. "What do they gain from that?"

Kakashi leaned back in his chair looking fairly at ease. This was clearly the lesser of the problems to Kakashi. "That's harder to discern. Neither the Elders, nor Danzo are fond of me. I suspect they'll likely bring up the calls I made during the mission to Wave and the way I handled Sasuke. Beyond that I don't know."

My glass spun in my hands. I hesitated, unsure whether I should broach the topic of one of their possible reasons. I decided to go ahead, if for no other reason than the idea leading to another. "Could it be part of a smear campaign to prevent you getting elected as Hokage?"

Kakashi gave me the look. "We just elected a new Hokage. I doubt she's going anywhere soon."

He was being evasive. Typical, I thought. I wasn't going to let the subject drop so soon. "And after Tsunade, who will they elect then?" When Kakashi remained silent I ploughed on. "You know Danzo's always hungered for the position. Time has not dulled his ambition." I gave Kakashi a meaningful look. We of all people should have a good grasp as to the lengths Danzo was willing to go to become Hokage.

"Danzo's old," Kakashi countered.

"So's Tsunade. If not you then who?" I reiterated.

"There are plenty of strong ninja in ANBU and I'm certainly not at the level I was when I was a member."

I resisted throwing my cushion at him. "You _know_ that after the Second every subsequent Hokage has been either a student of the Hokage or their student's student. _You_ were the Fourth's student. Who do you think they'll choose? They don't trust Anko or her genin teammates and Shizune doesn't have the combat power." I didn't mention the dead. That would have been cruel.

"It's a tradition, nothing more."

"Maybe. Maybe if someone like Kato Dan was still alive but we lost too many good fighters during the war and the Kyuubi attack." I ran my hand down my face. "You don't think it's a tradition that has to be followed, fine. I'll give you that point. But then give me names of specific people, Kakashi,"

"You."

I was flabbergasted.

Kakashi shrugged. "Don't look so surprised. You're no pushover and you have the best service record of any ANBU who served under the Third."

Kami Kakashi actually looked serious. Then I shook my head. "I've spent my entire career in ANBU, I'm not well known and have no political connections. They'll ask you and you know it." Kakashi may not like having to be responsible but responsibility wasn't something that he was going to be able to avoid in his career. "I feel like we're getting off topic."

Kakashi nodded. "We'll just have to focus on getting the best outcome possible for Naruto and Sasuke."

"I'll help you prepare," I offered. "I have afternoons off until the trial."

Beneath his mask, I could tell Kakashi smiled. It was like the sun coming out from behind dark clouds. I'd help Kakashi prepare for the trial and whatever Danzo and the Elders plans were, we would stop them.


	4. Chapter 4

I rhythmically rocked back on my chair waiting for the room to fill. Like the rest of the jury, I'd been required to arrive an hour earlier to be debriefed on my role. Working in T&I meant this was hardly the first trial I'd been to, but previously that had always been in the capacity of someone giving testimony.

Trials and hearings could be rather boring. I wouldn't have so readily agreed to participate had Mawashi's parents not died during the invasion. After being a little too knife happy with one of the Sound ninja last week, he'd been given a fortnight's break from the interrogation rooms. My boss then decided to take his nickname of Demon Sergeant to all new levels when dealing with his underlings. _Better here than there_ , I thought again to myself, and scratched my nose through my bandages.

I mentally perked up as I recognised two of the chakra signatures heading this way. Homura and Koharu usually only attended the more serious and high profile trials. I brought my chair legs back to the floor. The elders walked in and took their usual places. I wondered who was on trial.

More people filed in and five minutes later the Hokage arrived. _Hmm, someone must have really fucked up_. With renewed interest I thought back to who the other jurors were. We were quite a mixed bunch.

Tekuno Kanden was well liked, an active field jonin and former sensei; Yugao Uzuki was a fellow sensor I suspected of being in ANBU; and Iroha Hyuga was known for being a rather humourless and serious fellow with a knack for barrier jutsu. Chika Nara was the eldest juror and the one I knew the least about. My brief conversation with her earlier this morning suggested she was a bright woman with a good head on her shoulders.

The last of the seven jurors, Takajo, a Tobetsu jonin from the Aviary and Yurika, one of the better code breakers, I recognised from the Intelligence Division's last New Year's Eve party. While not technically part of the Intelligence Division, the Aviary shared the same building as us for practical and security purposes. Given the close working relationship of the cryptanalysis and aviary personnel, it had been decided we might as well invite them too.

None of us jurors had any radical political leanings and we were all rather well respected within the village through either our reputation or position. Of course my own position as a member of the Torture and Interrogation Force also had a number of negative connotations, but the wariness, uneasiness and sometimes fear we often provoked, even within our own village, often came hand-in-hand with respect. No one fucked with the Torture and Interrogation force.

People had stopped filing into the room. I felt the seated ninjas' agitation through the growing spiky feel of their chakra. The trial was supposed to have started by now and people were getting restless. It seemed as though we were waiting on the accused. Perhaps there had been problems with prisoner transport.

In walked Kakashi Hatake, five minutes late. It was neither a lackadaisical nor brisk walk, but exuded a calm confidence. It was ballsy. I had been in T&I too long not to recognise the transparent power play for what it was. I don't know who the show had been for, the elder's if I had to take a guess, but it certainly wasn't winning him any points with me. It was quite the opposite in fact. I was pissed.

This wasn't the first time I had had to wait for Kakashi. Anyone else accused at a hearing serious enough the Hokage had to attend would have been on time, which usually meant being here early. Shoving in everyone's face the precedent the Forth had set for putting up with Kakashi's antics, was just another reminder of the everyday nepotism I put up with in the village. I was still fuming for having to facilitate that kind of shit by seating the village pariah right next to the one genin in the Chunin Exams who would so blatantly allow him to cheat off of her answers.

The Fifth Hokage rose and the murmuring died down. "We are gathered here today to determine whether Kakashi Hatake has been criminally negligent in his actions as sensei of Team 7; to determine who is now most appropriate as Team 7's sensei; and to determine if any disciplinary action needs to be taken. At Kakashi's request he will be defended by Shikaku Nara, while in contrast Homura Mitokado will be arguing against Hatake's case. Any vote to determine a verdict here today will be carried out by myself and Shikaku Nara as Kakashi's superiors, the Konoha Council, and a jury of Kakashi's peers including Tonbo Tobitake, Tekuno Kanden, Yurika Namiashi, Chika Nara, Yugao Uzuki, Takajo Torikai and Iroha Hyuga."

Tsunade glanced to the elders. "Could the Konoha Council please explain to those assembled here why you have called an investigation into Hatake's conduct."

Koharu rose. "Eight months ago Kakashi Hatake was assigned as the jonin sensei of Team 7. The squad consisted of Sasuke Uchicha, clan heir and last Uchiha of the village; Naruto Uzumaki, one of the village's important weapons and Sakura Haruno, this year's graduate most adept at chakra control." Despite her age, the Councillor's voice carried to the back of the room.

"Last week Sasuke Uchiha went rogue." There was a pregnant pause as she let the gravity of the situation sink in. "He is now in the hands of Orochimaru, the man who orchestrated the recent attack on the village, the Third Hokage's killer. Orochimaru intends to use his body transfer technique on the Uchiha to gain the sharingan. This will make the traitor even more dangerous than he has recently shown himself to be. Furthermore, he may also use the boy to father a new generation of Uchiha completely outside of the village's control."

Many of the room's occupants exchanged troubled glances. Not having to fight the Uchiha clan was half the reason Konoha was started and a big reason many clans ended up joining the village.

Koharu continued, "Kakashi Hatake not only failed to prevent the Uchiha turning traitor, he failed to take the possibility seriously. Despite the Uchiha having had contact with Orochimaru, at no time did Kakashi raise the issue of the possibility of Uchiha going rogue, nor did he advise around the clock surveillance. To not even entertain the idea of Sasuke becoming a missing-nin is especially absurd given Hatake's past as a hunter-nin."

"After Sasuke Uchiha left the village, the Council reviewed Hatake's recent behaviour and his handling of the Uchiha was shown to be only the most recent of a series of bad judgement calls. Team 7's first mission out of the village was an A-rank mislabelled as a C-rank mission. When this was discovered, Hatake neither returned to the village nor requested back-up, not even when he realised he would be up against Zabuza Momochi, a former member of the Seven Ninja Swordsman of the Mist." The coucilwoman's eyes swept the room, making lingering eye contact with each of us.

"After scraping through this mission, Kakashi immediately nominated his team for the Chunin exams. His students had only graduated from the academy six months earlier and they clearly made a poor showing."

"Kakashi must be immediately removed as sensei of Team 7." Koharu turned to meet the Hokage's eyes. "We cannot do otherwise, the risks are too great." After a pause, the Senju nodded. Koharu sat down and only then did her eyes leave the Hokage's.

Tsuande turned to the Nara clan head. "Shikaku, now present your opening statement of Hatake's defence."

Calmly, unhurriedly, Shikaku rose. "Kakashi Hatake graduated from the academy at age five, became chunin at six, was promoted to jonin at 13 and was then assigned to ANBU at 14. Kakashi is now 27 years old. I bring this up because it matters. It matters because it means that Kakashi has twenty-two years of field experience, most of it in the position of team captain. He is no stranger to leading soldiers under his command. He is no stranger to carrying out missions of high importance to the village."

Shikaku turned to face the jury. "Given who the genin of Team 7 are, the sensei of Team 7 was not chosen lightly. And after careful consideration the Hokage chose to appoint Kakashi. Yes Kakashi has had to make difficult choices as the commanding officer of squad 7. But for the most part, Kakashi has been worthy of the trust the Third placed in him. If he hadn't, a trial would have been called long before now." His gaze swept the room. "The past few weeks have been difficult for all of us. Now is not the time to be divided and do the enemy's work for us." He then nodded to the Hokage and took his seat.

I didn't frown but I disliked his tactic of reaching out and calling for unity. It insinuated that we should take Hatake's side even if we thought he was in the wrong. Fuck that. I would do what was best for the village, even if that wasn't what was best for Hatake, even if no one else agreed with me.


End file.
